AboutUrgent

About Urgent Records

Into current missions terminology has entered the term "Hidden People," by which is meant enclaves of people who are largely unreached by the Gospel. The factors distinguishing these people are not geography, lack of technological development, or physical inaccessibility, but rather are cultural, intellectual, and linguistic. One of these enclaves of people is the thinking and intellectually curious population of the United States and Canada.

Our motivating vision is to encounter these people, both non-Christian and Christian, by using music music to surface common needs and invite them to consider the Gospel. It is our belief that music, perhaps the most widely spread product on the market today, when used in an honest and intelligent way, can be a tremendous resource in reaching these "Hidden People" with the Gospel of Christ.

Urgent Records was founded in 1984 with one artist, Phillip Sandifer. The company was based in Los Angeles and Phillip's three albums ("Never Steal The Show", "On My Way" and "Keeping The Dream Alive") were distributed by Sparrow. In 1988, with Phillip still the only artist on the label, the company moved to Austin, Texas. Since then Phillip has produced four more albums ("Constant", "The Other Side Of Salvation", "Arizona Highway" and "Sensible Enigmas") and has seen the small company grow into a respected one with well-known and up and coming artists.

The first artist added to the Urgent label was singer-songwriter Wendi Foy (now Wendi Foy Green of Sierra). Bob Bennett joined the Urgent family in the spring of 1989 and produced two albums for Urgent - "Lord Of The Past" and "Songs From Bright Avenue". Recently "Lord Of The Past" was named one of the top 100 Christian albums ever made by CCM magazine. "Lord Of The Past" and "Yours Alone" were Urgent's first #1 radio singles.

Billy Crockett and Rob Frazier joined the Urgent family in 1990. Billy produced two projects for Urgent - "The Basic Stuff" and "Any Starlight Night". Rob produced three projects for Urgent - "The Heartland", "Retrospect" and "The Long Run".Fernando Ortega produced his "In A Welcome Field" project for Urgent in 1991 and Urgent released Tom McCain's "Closer To Home" in 1993. These two projects continue to be the favorite of many even today.

In 1992 Urgent signed Dawn Smith Jordan who has to date produced four Urgent albums - "How Far", "Canopy", "A Moment Alone" and "Everyday Praise". Joseph Mills joined the label in 1994 and produced "Between The Lines" in 1995. Santa Fe released their first project "Moon Circles" in 1997 with a new project ("Everyday") due out through Urgent in the Fall of 2008. Phillip Sandifer is due to release "Prone To Calamity" and his first worship CD "Expression" in the spring of 2008.

While many of the artists associated with Urgent have moved on to other labels, we are proud to have been involved with them in their developing years and continue to be be thrilled with their successes today.

The vision of Urgent Records that each of the artists, as well as the staff, shares is to present the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ in a clear manner without beating people over the head with it. The Urgent Hippo illustrates this paradox. The artists have an urgent message to get out, but like the hippo moves slowly and in its own time, they want to make sure that the message is presented in God's time while they themselves take time to "be still and know" God.